District softball

Centralia can’t scratch across runs in 7-0 season-ending loss to Tolton

Centralia has scored runs in any way they can this season but couldn’t find a way for one to touch the plate.

The No. 5 Lady Panthers were shut out for the second team this season in a 7-0 loss to No. 3 Father Tolton on Saturday in the Class 3 District 4 championship game in Centralia. Tolton, the eighth best team in the state according to the latest rankings, recorded its 11th shutout of the year behind seven innings of six strikeouts and six hits from Kate Guinn and two home runs by a couple of freshmen, Montana Strobel and Bella Trim.

Centralia (18-14) committed five errors that allowed six unearned runs to score against Kaelyn Walters, who allowed nine hits and two walks in six innings while striking out four. Senior Autumn Hawkins picked up two hits, and seniors Jozelynn Bostick and Jaelyn Vega each had a single in their final game as a Lady Panther. 

Among the other issues were Centralia’s seven runners left on base. Head coach Liz Bostick said that the fact the Lady Panthers haven’t been shut out since an 11-0 loss to Blair Oaks on Aug. 30 says much about the fight of her team. On Saturday, Tolton (25-11) was better at finding ways to get outs, whether they be early in the inning or limiting the amount of productive outs Centralia had.

“This team has been great at working together and capitalizing when we get baserunners on,” Bostick said. “We put them on, and we just couldn’t scrape them across. We had several times second and third, but a lot of times, that was already with two outs. They were good enough at getting outs early to not allow us to get some momentum.”

Centralia had two runners on base in the third and fourth innings only to come up empty. Jozelynn Bostick sacrifice bunted two to second and third base in the third inning only for Guinn to notch a strikeout. Two runners reached for Madi Johnson in the fourth inning before she sent a hard-hit ball straight to the third baseman for the easy forceout at third and then another strikeout ended the inning.

Bostick mentioned that Jozelynn Bostick almost had a hit in the first inning —  a line drive to the center fielder Sadie Sexauer that was caught and turned into a double play to get Hawkins at first base. From there, she said Tolton head coach Taylor Bartlett proved how well he knows her team from coaching them during summer softball league. 

Guinn had a lead to work with early after Strobel hit a home run on a 3-2 pitch. Left fielder Olivia Adams saved a run by diving to catch a sinking laser hit by Strobel in the second inning, but then the outfield defense struggled from there by being responsible for three of Centralia’s errors.

Strobel went out there with her next rocket in the fourth inning that was misplayed and allowed a run to score for a 2-0 game. Guinn then hit a ball that flew over the outfield after another miscue to allow two to score on the play. Later in the inning, Trim hit a two-RBI home run on a 3-2 pitch for a 6-0 lead.

“I think it’s just composure,” Bostick said. “When you get to these playoff games, and they matter so much to these kids, they’re hearts in it and they don’t want to make the mistake so they play tense. When we play tense, we make mistakes that we shouldn’t normally make. That’s what it was. This mattered to them.”

Cross country

Mexico’s Peuster, girls are NCMC champs in Marshall

Thomas Peuster can call himself a conference champion after Saturday.

Mexico cross country competed in the North Central Missouri Conference Championships on Saturday at Indian Foothills Golf Course in Marshall, coming away with the boys individual conference title and the girls team title. 

Peuster won the boys 5,000 meters with a time of 17:25.22, and two other boys —  Tyler Grimes and Andrew Peuster — earned second-team all-conference honors by taking ninth and 10, respectively, to finish third as a team. The girls had four earn all-conference, led by the first-team finishes of Kalea Henneberry in fourth place and Maggie Ramsey in sixth place, to take the team NCMC title with 43 points — five better than second-place Hannibal. Sidney Turlington was eighth and Viviana Benjamin finished 10th for each to earn second-team honors.

Three North Callaway runners, Van-Far’s Childs earn all-EMO honors

It was fitting North Callaway to have all-conference runners when it hosted the Eastern Missouri Conference meet on Saturday. It was also fitting that Van-Far’s Erin Childs finished within the top 14.

Three North Callaway runners earned all-EMO honors, including Pressley Schmauch (third) and Grace Rasmussen (sixth) on the first team for the girls and Tristan Young (11th) on the second team for the boys. Childs gave Van-Far a second-team all-conference runner after she finished 11th — falling within the top 14 to earn honors and within the latter seven for second team.

Volleyball

Mexico takes third in Eugene Invitational

Mexico had a taste of tournament action before the big one this week.

The Lady Bulldogs will begin play in the Class 3 District 7 Tournament at 7 p.m. Thursday against Bowling Green in Hallsville but faced three teams Saturday in the Eugene Volleyball Invitational. Mexico lost to host Eugene but defeated Russellville ((25-19, 22-25, 25-21) and Belle (25-21 and 25-15) to win third place. The Lady Bulldogs had a combined 30 service aces in the their two victories, led by 11 from Ally Wilson and eight from JacLynn Cline

Mexico (3-4 NCMC) will look to bounce back in the North Central Missouri Conference after Thursday’s four-set loss at Marshall by going to conference-leader Hannibal (17-10-1, 6-0 NCMC) on Monday for its regular season finale.

Look for the full stories in the Oct. 19, 2022, edition of The Mexico Ledger and on the website on the same day.